Sprint Round Wales 2008
This was going to be the 3rd time I had ridden round Wales, and each time I'd ridden a different bike to the last. Wales for me has always been the best place to ride a motorcycle, why? Because the roads are smooth twisty and fun, it's not too far from where I live and the weather is usually warmer than its bigger counterpart Scotland.
Where to ride in Wales is not much of a problem because most of it is interesting but it can get busy which of course can spoil the fun unless overtaking on corners is your thing. My first night was in Abergavenny near the Brecon Beacons, it's a town which attracts loads of bikes especially on a Sunday and can be a great place to stop for bacon butty and a cup of tea, there's also a nice Indian restaurant and plenty of pubs, I would suggest staying in the local B&B as the campsite is over a mile walk but not too bad on a nice light evening
The next day I would suggest riding north up to Welshpool following the twisty routes all the way up to the A5 leading into a beautiful place called Betwes-y-Coed, this place is a real welsh gem and created for the surroundings, there are restaurants and bars and a campsite just down the road with B&B's located opposite the river, this is one of my favourite places to stay and try and visit as often as possible.
As I ride into the campsite the welcome is what I've come to expect round these parts, people come over and chat, offer you tea and invite you to the local pubs. The forecast this week was for sunny weather most of the time which in these parts is a miracle because of the mountains which surround the valley, I did have some freaky down pour which lasted about five minutes but couldn't see any clouds, strange!
Next morning I rode into Snowdonia National Park passing Llanberis pass which stood a huge mountain of Slate cut away where the mining industry had been in full production, there are slate mines you can visit which tell you the story of the Walsh miners in the past, you also get the chance to go deep into the mine and experience what it was like being a miner and the dangers involved.
I rode on to Penrhyn Llyn which is located on the west peninsular of Porthmadog and stopped at a small town called Abersoch, again a great place to stop for the night with camping in walking distance of the town.
Moving on round the coast I pass through Aberystwyth which in a student town with plenty of pubs, restaurants and lively night life, I've stayed here before but this time I rode on round the Pembrokeshire coast to St David's where you'll find one of the finest Cathedrals hidden behind the town, I stopped here for lunch before moving on round the coast to Tenby located on the south coast of Wales.
Tenby was going to be my last night's camping before heading home the next day, Tenby is a town steeped in ancient history surrounded by an imposing stone wall and built in the 13th century, today a lively town with friendly locals and great pubs, a walk down to the local town from the campsite perch on the hill and the views overlooking the bay had me away for the rest of the day enjoying the many bars Tenby has to offer.